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O.I. Pera president Gianni Amidei says the lower volumes should be easily absorbed by the market.

Provisional estimates from Italy’s predominant pear-growing region show production is likely to be down this year, but growers are choosing to focus on the positives of taking less weight off a European market still struggling with the impacts of the Russian ban.

In a release, the country’s Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO) highlighted the estimates stemming from an O.I. Pera Coordination Committee meeting in Ferrara on July 14.

Italy: Strawberry cultivation in Europe – current varieties and new selections

A technical meeting was held on the importance of strawberry cultivation in Europe and on new interesting varieties for the domestic and European market on 18th June 2013 at the CReSo (Centro Ricerche per la Frutticoltura) located in Boves (Piedmont).

The event was organised by Cristiano Carli and Roberto Giordano, research managers from Creso. Roberto Giordano and Dr. Walther Faedi from Folrì’s CRA-FRF have talked about the strong and weak points of each of the varieties that are cultivated and available on the market.

Walther Faedi, national coordinator of the ‘Liste varietali dei Fruttiferi’ project, listed the main characteristics and tendencies in the main countries that produce strawberries i.e. Turkey, Spain, Poland, Germany, Italy, England, Holland and Netherlands.

Some of the data:

TURKEY

Increase of cultivated surfaces but there are a few problems as regards distribution because of the difficulties in transportation. The production period is very long, from December to June.

SPAIN

Decrease in surface areas but increase of production. Long production period, from December to June. Camarosa is the most popular variety even though Candonga is also gaining a following thanks to its organoleptic qualities.

POLAND

The technique is being specialised and competitive producer cooperatives are being created. The production is mainly destined to the fresh market, leaving only a small part to the industry. Labour costs are really low: 2.5/h.

GERMANY

Open field crops are the most popular. Expanded in the past few years, pressurising markets and lowering prices. Strong competitor for Italy. Elsanta and Clery are the main varieties. Remontat cultivars are increasing.

ITALY

In 2012, there were 3700 hectares of strawberry crops (-20% with respect to 2000), 40% of which in the North (Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Trentino and Piedmont). The Italian production can satisfy the demand coming from the domestic market the whole year round. Produce from Sicily and Calabria arrives on the markets from January to March, that from Campania and Basilicata from April/May and overlaps with that from the North (Verona and Emilia Romagna. Summer is covered by the mountain areas and Sicily covers late autumn.

Dr. Faedi then explained the new varieties in the different Italian regions: “In the South, a number of different varieties is being evaluated, such as for example Rania, Nabila, Pircinque and Kamila from Italy, Sabrina, Fuentepina, Antilla and Primoris from Spain and Splendor, Florida-Fortuna, Mojave and Benicia from America. In the North, Italian Cristina, Romina, Garda, Alina, Dely and Joly are being considered.”

Finally, DR. Faedi analysed some varieties more in detail, such as VR177.2, as the fruit represent a good compromise between weight, compactness, Brix level (sugar content), aroma and shelf-life.

Dr. Roberto Lombardo also talked about the varieties and the selections currently being experimented at the CreSo. Primy (medium-early), Garda (medium-early), Joly (medium-late) and Laetitia (late) were the varieties included in the extensive experimentation under the 2013 Fragola Unifera programme.

Dr. Lombardo explained how, “Garda has a good productivity, the fruit is cuneiform, with a good weight, the flesh is compact and tastes good, it is important though to verify the colour. Primy has a good productivity, with a good weight; fruits are conical with a flat tip and the colour is deep red, which must be checked with high temperatures; the taste is balanced though the resistance of fruits to handling has to be analysed. Joly has an excellent sweet and aromatic taste, the colour is bright red, which turns to deep red with high temperatures, the flesh is quite compact, the productivity is average and it is easily detachable. Laetitia is conical, with good weight, it resists to handling, the colour is bright red and the taste is good and sweet.”

Once the presentation was over, it was possible to taste the different varieties of strawberries, both those registered and those experimented.

Italy: Unitec to speak at UC Davis’ workshop on new post-harvest technologiesOn the 14th-15th of March 2013, Unitec spa, a company specialised in the design and manufacture of high-technology machinery and systems for the processing, selection and packaging of over 35 types of fresh fruit and vegetables, will be one of the speakers at the “Emerging Postharvest Technologies” workshop, organised in Davis (California, USA) by the California agriculture and natural resources division (ANR), the UC Davis postharvest technology center and the UC Davis department of Plant science.

Luca Montanari, vice president of Unitec, will intervene with a lecture on the “Use of non-destructive sensors in Eurpoe”, during which he will explain the guidelines for the development of new technologies in light of the efficiency and profitability needs of packing stations and of an ever-evolving global market.

Unitec’s participation to the University of California workshop is a confirmation of the dedication to research and development of the Italian company, which is now a benchmark for the sector at an international level.

“The 2014 melon campaign started very well in February with produce from Senegal: the fruit was of exceptional quality and clients responded well, so much so that we did not have enough to meet demand. Unfortunately, we finished our imports from Africa overlapping with production from Sicily, but it was an excellent spring campaign in general,” explains Bruno Francescon, chairman and administrator of a PO.

“As regards the Sicilian produce, prices were quite low, then temperatures dropped in May and demand remained low too, so we could barely cover production costs.”

“TerraEqua” is the brand of Francescon melons cultivated in Senegal.

“June and July went very well due to the increase in volumes and sufficient prices…up until the night between July 17th and 18th, when a hailstorm in the Mantua area changed things. Expectations were positive and quality was good, but we still had 700 ha to harvest and 400 ha were affected.”

“We recorded a +20% in July thanks to increased exports and new clients, but then in August and September we lost something like 500 trucks of melons. Thankfully, prices doubled in the last two months – almost 1/kg on average.”

“The 2014 campaign has been actually positive, with 25% less volumes but with a slightly increased turnover.”

“It is still unknown how the Russian ban will affect the kiwi season. We believe the direct effects will be rather limited, as Russia is not one of our main markets, but we will have to deal with the increased competition from other producer countries like for example Greece. This is why we will work to strengthen the brand and guarantee constant high quality to our clients,” refer the managers of the KiwiGold consortium, owner of the Jingold brand.

The Jingold kiwi campaign will start in the next few days. The suitable moment to harvest is established by the technical managers of the Consortium and it coincides with the moment when the kiwis reach the perfect organoleptic qualities.

“Volumes are similar to last year – many new orchards are now starting to produce but, at the same time, production has dropped in other areas in Southern Italy due to the mild temperatures of last winter.”

The quantities of green Hayward kiwis should increase considerably. “We will select high-quality green kiwis to complete our range together with golden kiwis.”

The main destination market is the European one, where the produce is distributed by groups like Edeka, Corte Ingles, Coop and Tesco. The Asian market is the one growing the most.

“In Far East countries like China, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, Jingold is a recognised brand by both operators and consumers as we have been on the market for a few years.”

“The season is looking good – there is a lot of interest from our usual clients and prospects are good.”

“After a slow start due to the poor quality of Victoria grapes, better quality bunches will be available on the market from the first week of August,” explains the manager of Orchidea Frutta, a company specialised in the production and sale of table grapes, cherries, citrus fruit, peaches, apricots, watermelons and artichokes.

“We started harvesting the Superior seedless variety, but abroad we are currently affected by competition from Spain.” A good year is also expected for Crimson Seedless, especially thanks to the 30% drop in production with respect to last year.

Crimson seedless.

Expectations are great also as regards the Italia variety. “This season will be great! If we consider that 20% less produce is expected on plants, quality will be excellent from the start.”

Cone bag.

Weather permitting, the season should be good from August 15th onwards. “The weather has been horrible so far, so we can only hope for the better.”

Palieri.

“If the market is to respond well to our products, the campaign can still be saved.”

Ilenio Bastoni (Apofruit)Italy: Solarelli stonefruit doing well in the Middle East

“After the positive test of 2013, this year we have increased the stores in the UAE that sell our Solarelli products,” explains Ilenio Bastoni from Apofruit Italia.

Promotions were carried out also throughout the Ramadan, which will end on 27th July: “in one single month, we shipped 150 pallets of stonefruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots and cherries), i.e. over 75 tons of fruit.”

“We have also increased our exports to Saudi Arabia. We currently reach these markets by air, but we are also considering shipping the medium-late varieties by sea.”

In a normal season, the 2-3 weeks needed for maritime transports should not be a problem even for perishable goods, but the bad weather this year affected shelf-life.”

“Internalisation is helping tackle the summer fruit crisis, but the fact that flight costs are high means less countries can afford them. The Middle East is a strategic market, which can guarantee interesting prices for high-quality produce, but we cannot put all our hope on that. Still, we will dedicate a lot of attention to it.”

OP Lagnasco GroupItaly: Difficult year for peaches but we are ready to face it

“Peach and nectarine production in the Cuneo province is expected to be 10-15% less than 2013. We have finished thinning operations and so far the produce seems to be good in terms of quality, colour and organoleptic qualities,” explains Giuseppe “Beppe” Termanini (in the photo), director of Lagnasco Group.

The campaign will start one week earlier than a normal year. “There are some problems like abundant supplies and low consumption rates, but it is still way to early to make an assessment – the campaign does not look easy, but we are ready to face it.”

This year,Lagnasco Group should produce around 15,000 tons of peaches (20% of the total) and nectarines (80%). 80% of these will be sold on the domestic and European markets. “We are equipped to carry out 10-15 day shipments overseas, but our competitors are advantaged in terms of costs and logistics (Greece towards Eastern Europe and the Middle East basin and Spain towards Brazil and South America).”

OP Lagnasco GroupItaly: Difficult year for peaches but we are ready to face it

“Peach and nectarine production in the Cuneo province is expected to be 10-15% less than 2013. We have finished thinning operations and so far the produce seems to be good in terms of quality, colour and organoleptic qualities,” explains Giuseppe “Beppe” Termanini (in the photo), director of Lagnasco Group.

The campaign will start one week earlier than a normal year. “There are some problems like abundant supplies and low consumption rates, but it is still way to early to make an assessment – the campaign does not look easy, but we are ready to face it.”

This year,Lagnasco Group should produce around 15,000 tons of peaches (20% of the total) and nectarines (80%). 80% of these will be sold on the domestic and European markets. “We are equipped to carry out 10-15 day shipments overseas, but our competitors are advantaged in terms of costs and logistics (Greece towards Eastern Europe and the Middle East basin and Spain towards Brazil and South America).”

OP Lagnasco GroupItaly: Difficult year for peaches but we are ready to face it

“Peach and nectarine production in the Cuneo province is expected to be 10-15% less than 2013. We have finished thinning operations and so far the produce seems to be good in terms of quality, colour and organoleptic qualities,” explains Giuseppe “Beppe” Termanini (in the photo), director of Lagnasco Group.

The campaign will start one week earlier than a normal year. “There are some problems like abundant supplies and low consumption rates, but it is still way to early to make an assessment – the campaign does not look easy, but we are ready to face it.”

This year,Lagnasco Group should produce around 15,000 tons of peaches (20% of the total) and nectarines (80%). 80% of these will be sold on the domestic and European markets. “We are equipped to carry out 10-15 day shipments overseas, but our competitors are advantaged in terms of costs and logistics (Greece towards Eastern Europe and the Middle East basin and Spain towards Brazil and South America).”

“The way to gain the trust of the public and to increase fruit consumption is to constantly supply high-quality produce,” explains Angelo Benedetti, chairman of UNITEC.

Angelo Benedetti.

UNITEC – a group specialised in the development of technologies for the processing, selection and quality control of over 35 types of fruit – has been improving the quality of fresh fruit processing worldwide for 90 years (1924-2014).

“In addition to the appeal issue, we must also consider the different level of ripening of the produce. If I need to ship it to countries that are far away, I will need to select the fruit that can endure the journey. Our technologies can really help.”

The Chile caseStarting from 2007, some Chilean producers and UNITEC have used innovative technology as a strategic factor for success.

In order to help clients reach their objective of producing more high quality produce for the Asian market and therefore increase yields, UNITEC has developed a state-of-the art technology to select cherries (distinguishing grades, internal and external defects, Brix level and compactness).

Below charts in Italian:

As can be seen from the charts above and below, there is a close relation between Chilean exports and the processing capacity of UNITEC lines.

Agroter processing of UNITEC and Asoex data.

Thanks to the great selection capability of the Cherry Vision technology, Chilean packing stations could plan their export strategies while keeping the different needs of the various destination markets in mind.

The standardisation of the selection processes enables the guarantee of high-quality produce arriving on the marketing, as only the fruit with the right characteristics to endure the journey (as long as 40 days of transit time!) is packed and shipped.

UNITEC innovation for Stemilt cherries in CaliforniaJust a few days ago, a large plant was put into operation in the premises of Chinchiolo Stemilt, in Stockton (California). 40 lanes with a nominal production capacity of 1200 fruits/second or 4,320,000 fruits/hour and an effective production capacity of around 800/900 fruits/second or about 3,200,000 fruits/hour. All integrated with Cherry Vision technology for the non-destructive selection of internal and external quality in cherries.

“The startup of our California line was one of, if not the best start of a cherry line in the 50 year history of Stemilt. In addition, in the first 7 days of operations we hit a major performance goal for the line. UNITEC backs up the sales pitch with execution” declared West Mathison (photo below), President of Stemilt Growers.

UNITEC works day in, day out to help its customers to improve processing and packing for fruit and vegetables. It handles every aspect of the technologies it provides: from the hardware and software to the design, mechanical engineering and construction of parts for automation, always aiming to provide tangible results that meet targets established together with the customer at the moment of drawing up the contract.

“The UNITEC machine is a great asset to the delivery of premium consistent cherries to our customers. Working with UNITEC through the design and installation was seamless and the service level is top notch” said Erick Stonebarger, Chinchiolo Stemilt sales/special projects representative.

“As Team UNITEC we are proud of the work carried out and the praise from West Mathison is truly our greatest reward,” said Raffaele Benedetti, UNITEC Sales Director. “The satisfaction expressed by our customers, their managers and technicians is what gives our Team the most satisfaction. We like to think of our business as a win-win affair. And we believe that with the Stemilt company this has proved to be the case. We would like to thank the Stemilt staff who worked with us and helped us to create these great results.”

“The weather deeply affected the campaign, so much so that nothing developed at the usual times,” explains Salvatore Secondulfo, owner of OP Secondulfo,

Strawberries developed more during the winter months, “therefore we expect lower yields towards the end of the season. Unfortunately, there were less nutrients in the plants during their most productive period.”

According to the owner, there are many factors that influence the campaign. “Due to the change in climate, Germany, as well as other Central and Northern European countries, is now cultivating more fruit, so it can satisfy internal demand and import less produce. In addition, the produce in exporting countries ripened earlier than usual, thus reducing their commercial period.”

“Despite this, we feel the strawberry campaign was good, especially in February, March and April 2014. We are confident we have done a good job, nonetheless, we are open to improvements. Basilicata for example adopted a number of different commercial strategies and achieved good results.”

OP Secondulfo covers around 400 hectares of kiwis, grapes, peaches, strawberries, apricots and nectarines. Produce is sold under the KiwiPiù and MissDolcezza brands.